When my Community Fibre (overhead / PIA) installation was done, it used 7/3.7mm Emtelle microduct as drop cable.

A neighbour joined recently and I remember thinking that the drop cable was of much smaller diameter, around the 3mm range, perhaps with some kind of tensioner near the customer wall anchor. I'll have to see if there are any visible manufacturer markings. Assuming it meets all the relevant standards, the move to fibre is a chance to reduce the visual impact of overhead cables by using smaller diameters... but I think Openreach have stayed around the 5-6mm OD range.

They also didn't use an external CSP, which makes for a neater install on the main elevation of the house as the CF version was twice the size of the Openreach one. Rerouting mine is on the to-do list.

I wonder if this was done in the old way - connectorised cable fed outside-in, and then a field fit SC connector added internally? (No CSP)

That's how mine was done in 2019, but I believe that Openreach have moved away from that due to higher failure rate. The CSP also makes fault-finding easier without having to enter the property.

The microduct drop cable is reminiscent of the pre-connectorised Openreach FTTP, where they used to blow a 4-fibre bundle from the manifold to the CSP.

Sorry another question or 2 if I may

I noticed the CommScope cable has what looks possibly like a velcro strap near to the connector end (out of box it looked like it was rolled up and secured with a very large cable tie), is that the case? how is it used? and is it used on both UG and OH provisions?

Thanks in advance

It's just a stopper. When it's being pulled through a duct, in theory it'll catch on the edge of the duct, or overhead it'll catch in the pulley, so the engineer will know when to stop pulling.

The Corning equivalent has a cable gland to serve the same purpose.

Edited by troublegum (Sun 30-Jan-22 18:32:23)

In reply to a post by troublegum:

It's just a stopper.

I would have never figured that out in a month of Sundays

Tagging to last post

When a connectorised fibre cable is pulled through a duct to a property is the fully premade length (say 105m) pulled through the duct even if only a shorter length (say 70m) is required or is it cut down beforehand to save so much pulling as its going to only be cut off afterwards if its all pulled through.

I use 70m as an example as I believe typical lengths are 65m which would be too short and 105m would be too long

In reply to a post by dect:

Tagging to last post

When a connectorised fibre cable is pulled through a duct to a property is the fully premade length (say 105m) pulled through the duct even if only a shorter length (say 70m) is required or is it cut down beforehand to save so much pulling as its going to only be cut off afterwards if its all pulled through.

I use 70m as an example as I believe typical lengths are 65m which would be too short and 105m would be too long

Yes the full thing is pulled through and the excess cut off afterwards.

I suppose you could cut some off first, but it’s probably easier to pull it all through first, rather than estimate how much to cut off.

In reply to a post by troublegum:

Yes the full thing is pulled through and the excess cut off afterwards.

I suppose you could cut some off first, but it’s probably easier to pull it all through first, rather than estimate how much to cut off.

I was thinking of my own case where the duct comes up inside the property (not on the outside wall where space is not an issue) and the length of the duct to where the CBT will be located is known.

Does anyone know if the connectorised cables that transition from outside (black) to inside (white) can also be used with a CSP?